Puncture-resistant tire assembly

ABSTRACT

A vehicle tire casing and inner inflated tubular member of material comprising lead (or optionally other highly malleable metal having high ductility in the range of that of lead and copper, and substantially pure aluminum and tin). Lead, which may be flexed many thousands of times without fracture, is resistant to puncture and may be welded by simple heating without flux, is preferred; when copper, aluminum or tin is used the tubular member is sheathed in and flexibly bonded to a thin-rubber envelope. The invention comprehends a doughnut-shaped lead inner tube; but optionally the tubular member comprises annularly arranged tubular elements, each having a middle portion of greatest inflated bulge, from which portions curvingly slope to wider constrictions at ends of the elements. These constrictions may be: flattened, hermetically bonded plies of the tubularmember material; or only substantially flat, having lines of seam or spot welding, allowing passage of gas between the welds. The invention includes a wheel, having laterally projecting flanges, inward of which casing flanges are held.

United States Patent [191 Moore [11] 3,831,653 Aug. 27, 1974 PUNCTURE-RESISTANT TIRE ASSEMBLY [76] Inventor: Alvin Edward Moore, 916 Beach Blvd, Waveland, Mich. 39576 [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 289,477

[ ABSTRACT A vehicle tire casing and inner inflated tubular member of material comprising lead (or optionally other highly malleable metal having high ductility in the range of that of lead and copper, and substantially pure aluminum and tin). Lead, which may be flexed many thousands of times without fracture, is resistant to puncture and may be welded by simple heating without flux, is preferred; when copper, aluminum or tin is used the tubular member is sheathed in and flexibly bonded to a thin-rubber envelope. The invention comprehends a doughnut-shaped lead inner tube; but optionally the tubular member comprises annularly [56] References Cited arranged tubular elements, each having a middle por- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of greatest inflated bulge, from which portions 519,438 5/1894 Smith 152/193 Curvingly slope to wider constrictions at ends of the 612,054 l0/1898 Piper 152/193 elements. These constrictions may be: flattened, her- 680,255 8/1901 Lieberthal 152/380 metically bonded plies of the tubulapmember material; or only substantially flat, having lines of seam or spot welding, allowing passage of gas between the l 181 Leffens 152/200 welds. The invention includes a wheel, having laterally /1925 Volence 152/193 pro ecting flanges, inward of which casing flanges are Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. held Assistant Examiner-Robert Saifer 23 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures r 56 61 T' 54 54 1 9O 1 5 6 O I 8 I PUNCTIJRE-RESISTANT TIRE ASSEMBLY Inflated vehicle tires have been used for generations, but they still gradually lose inflation pressure and require frequent and bothersome inspections and additions of compressed air. Air is lost thru the rubber of inner tubes and casings, in defective seals between tubeless-tire sidewalls and wheels, and thru valves.

In view of these facts, some objects of the present invention are to provide: (1) a vehicle tire comprising sealed, permanently inflated, tubular elements, each having somewhat flattened ends having thin, highly ductile metal, preventing the escape of compressed gas, and flexible fabric reinforcing the thin metal: (2) a tire comprising an outer casing of fabric and rubber, and an inflated inner tube or lining of thin lead, permanently sealed against escape of compressed gas; (3) a tire comprising an outer casing of fabric and rubber and an inner tubular member having a plurality of inflated, flexibly connected tubular elements, each having somewhatflattened and readily bendable ends and comprising thin lead. These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following specification and the attached drawings.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view, partly broken away, from a plane containing the axis ofa vehicle wheel of an automobile or other vehicle, illustrating one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view from a plane normal to the axis of a wheel, showing the axle and bearings f the wheel as broken away, illustrating another form of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a detail plan view of flat-ended tubular elements of the type of FIG. 2, connected by flexible bands or tie members;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view from a plane normal to the axis of a wheel, partly broken away, showing a wheel usable in the invention that has a polygonal rim;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view which may be considered being from the plane 4-4 of either FIG. 1 or FIG. 12;

FIG. 5 is an elevational. (or plan) view of an inflated inner tube of the invention, comprising thin lead;

FIG. 6 is a detail cross-sectional view of a tire comprising the tube or lining of FIG. 5, inside a tire casing of a common present type;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional detail view illustrating a composite tire of rubber enveloping an inflated lead inner tube or lining;

FIG. 8 is a detail sectional view showing one form of material usable in the lead inner tube or lining;

FIG. 8A is a detail sectional view illustrating inflatedtube material comprising ductile metal and rubberimpregnated fabric;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of an inner tube or lining of the general type of FIGS. I and 4, indicating the tubular member before it is inflated;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of an inner tubular member of the general type of FIGS. 1 and 4 one having links or tubular elements comprising circular-incross-section middle parts;

FIG. "IA is a sectional view from the plane 10AIOA of FIG. 10;

FIG. I I is a fragmentary plan view of an inner tubular member of the general type of FIGS. 1 and 4 one having tubular elements, each of which is substantially elliptical in its middle part;

FIG. 11A is a sectional view from the of FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view, partly broken away, from a plane containing the axis of a vehicle wheel, illustrating the invention as comprising three juxtaposed tubular members; I

FIG. 13 is a developed. fragmentary plan view of inflated, juxtaposed tubular members in the arrangement of FIG. 12;

and FIG. 14 is a detail, fragmentary view of one of the metal-reinforced holding-flange portions of the tire casing, in section from a plane normal to the wheels rotary axis.

In each of the forms of the invention an inner tubular member has inflated walls that comprise a highly ductile metal, impervious to gas. In certain instances when the inner linings or tubular elements are enveloped in a sheath of resilient rubber or in resilient foam plastic this metal may be pure or nearly pure aluminum, thin copper, or tin. Although this combination is a part of the invention, it is not currently preferred. Although copper, pure aluminum and tin are capable of a multiplicity of bendings without fracture, in the longcontinued yieldings of a vehicular tire such tube metal is liable to fracture before its tire casing wears out. By gluing and enveloping it in a sheath of resilient rubber (or resilient foam plastic), as indicated at 10 in FIG. 8A a permanently inflated tire of this type is usable throughout (or nearly throughout) the life of its casing without enough loss of gas to render it unservicable.

plane llllA But the ideal ductile metal to be used in a permanently inflated tubular member of a tire is lead. It can be bent indefinitely without its fracture. Its melting point of 327.4 degrees, Centigrade, although low among metals, is sufficiently high (over three times that of rubber) to prevent its being melted by the heat of a tire in high-speed usage. In addition to being soft and very malleable it is extremely durable and thus an inner tubular member of it can be used numerous times in rubber-and-fabric casings.

In its simplest form the invention comprises a doughnut-shaped inner tube or tubular member of the type shown at I in FIG. 5, of molded thin lead, inflated via gas inlet 2 at a pressure above that of the atmosphere (for example, 20 to 35 pounds per square inch).

This gas inlet 2 optionally may be an inflation valve of known type (preferably permanently sealed after inflation with bonding material solder, brazing, welding or epoxy cement or putty); or it may be a short lead or steel tube of small diameter, permanently sealed after inflation by such bonding material. When the short tube is of lead it may be permanently sealed without flux by fusing of the lead in a heated clamp, which forces the end edges of the gas-inlet tube into flattened condition and melts them together.

An inner tube of this type of FIG. 5 has a tendency to wrinkle each time it flexes in bearing on the ground or other surface. In view of this fact, and the soft nature of thin lead, the inner tubular element is enveloped in a rubber-and-fabric casing of the type shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7. The casing 3 of FIG. 6, clamped around the wheel 4 in known manner, comprises two or more plies of cloth or metal wire-fabric, impregnated and coated with resilient rubber or other resilient plastic. The inner tubular member 1' is separate and removable from the casing 3. In FIG. 7 the tubular member 1'' is fixed within a rubber-and fabric casing 5. This resilient casing is optionally flexibly glued around the tubular member; but preferably it is molded around the tubular member, which serves as a core within the mold. Optionally, the casing 5 may be considerably thicker than its illustration and may comprise only tough, resilient rubber.

The lead-comprising material of any of the forms of the invention optionally may be lead alone or lead that is reinforced with flexible fabric. One type of the lead reinforcement is indicated in FIG. 8. Here the fabric 6 is either steel or aluminum alloy of or woven asbestos or other preferably fire-resistant cloth, that preferably has a melting point above that of lead. This fabric is impregnated and coated by lead (7), which optionally may be applied in molten form to the fabric while it is in a mold. Alternatively, the lead may be forced into the interstices of the metal-wire or cloth fabric by moving thin plies of the lead and fabric (for example, metalwire mesh or nylon mesh) between heavy rolls. Either a single layer of thin sheet lead thus may be used or two layers of lead sheet with a fabric ply between them may be forced between the rolls. Another way of making the composite lead-comprising sheet is use of epoxy or rubber cement of the Pliobond or silicone-rubber type to glue a thin sheet of the lead to fabric. In any event, the composite sheet is thin; and when formed into an inflated tubular member has a solid, homogeneously continuous surface of lead adjacent to the inflation air or other gas, preventing escape of the gas.

FIG. 8A shows tubular-member material which may comprise thin, highly ductile metal that may be: lead, pure or nearly pure aluminum; copper; or tin. A thin layer of the metal 8, is roll-pressed or glued or melted on to a ply of fabric 9. When molten metal is applied to fire-resistant fabric the resultant composite material is preferably forced between powered rolls after the metal has solidified, thus making the material more compact and thinner.

On this resultant two-part material a layer of rubber, I0, is fixed. This rubber may be in the form of rubber sheet, glued to 8-9 by silicone rubber, Pliobond-type rubber cement, epoxy or other glue. In this process the face 8 that is to be next to inflation gas is homogeneously solid metal, impermeable to gas. When, as is preferred, lead is used as the fabric-impregnating metal the layer of rubber is optional, and preferably is eliminated.

The tube-wall material (thin sheet lead or the composite sheet of FIG. 8 or FIG. 8A) may be formed into an inflated tubular member of the type of FIG. 2 or in FIGS. 9 to 11A. FIG. 9 illustrates the member of FIG. 10 or of FIG. 11 before it is inflated.

This tubular member comprises a plurality of inflatable links or tubular elements, 12 (12' in FIG. 10). Each element comprises an inflated middle portion and ends that are joined to'ends of adjacent links in somewhat flattened portions, (l4, 14'). These portions optionally may be entirely flat, as indicated in FIGS. 10 and 12 at 14, and sealed against passage of gas between links by bonding material (welding, brazing, solder or epoxy). Or. as indicated at 14' in FIGS. 9 and 11, these ends may be at first flattened, until the lines 16 of scam or spot welding are made, and then after inflation they comprise only partly flattened portions of the material providing small tubes or apertures on sides of the lines 16 thru which gas may flow between the tubular elements, making possible the inflation of an endless tubular member from a single gas inlet 18 (a sealable small, short tube or valve). But when, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the tubular elements are end-joined by sealed flat bands 14, a gas inlet 20 is provided for each tubular element of the endless tubular member.

Since the metal of this inner, inflated tire member is impermeable to gas the inlets are preferably permanently sealed by bonding material of one of the abovedescribed types. For examples: when the gas inlets are short tubes, after inflation their ends may be clamped into small flattened bands and then sealed by epoxy and/or welding; or when the inlets are air valves of known type the metal valve caps may be screwed on the valve stems and sealingly soldered or welded in place. The lead or metal-and-fabric material of these tubular members makes punctures unlikely; but if a puncture occurs the tubular member involved may be removed from the tire, repaired and re-inflated by drilling, sawing or melting off the sealing, bonding material of the gas inlet, the metal around the punctured hole melted until it fills over, re-inflation, and re-sealing the inlet. The gas inlets 2 may be long enough to extend thru holes in the wheel rims, in the manner of presently common tire valves; but preferably the inlets 18 or 20 are very short and so placed on the inflated links, as indicated in FIGS. 11 and 12, to not interfere with their flexing in ground contact.

The elongated basic structure of the tubular member of FIG. 9, shown before it is bent. and formed into an annulus, may be made from thin sheets of one of the above-described materials, bonded at lapped or buttwelded side edges, by molding, or by extrusion.

When from an extrusion it may be made in accordance with the following method: (I) The extruded tube is flattened into a planar rectangle throughout its length; and if the desired tubular-member material is composite (like that of FIG. 8) the metal is enveloped by fire-resistant fabric. (This sheathing optionally may precede the flattening of step (1).) (2) The gas-inlet means (short tube or valve) is fixed as at 18, by welding or other bonding material, to one side of the rectangular article. When the inlet is a lead tube it may be easily and integrally fixed to the extruded material by simply melting the lead at their junctions, for example by a blow torch, while an inward part of the inlet is flatly clamped. (3) The two flat planar folds are united at the substantially flattened portions or constrictions 14' by the lines 16 of seam or spot welding. Or in the form of FIG. 10 the folds at the sealed, flat bands 14 are continuously welded or epoxy-puttied together. Here also, when the metal is lead welding may be easily made by simple melting of adjacent unfluxed lead portions. (4) The two plies are united at the ends 22 of the article. Each of these ends may be sealingly welded or otherwise bonded in completely welded bands or, alternatively, only one of the ends is thus entirely bonded and the other end is bifurcated, being welded or bonded only between the lines 24 and 25, with two forked portions 26. (5) The rectangular article is bent into a ring. (6) The sealed ends 22 are united. When both ends are continuously welded bands one of these is lapped over the other and they are welded or otherwise bonded together. When one end is bifurcated, at 26, its forks are spread apart, the other end 22 is placed between them and the two ends are welded or otherwise bonded together. Optionally, this step (6) may be done after the tubular member is arranged around a wheel rim. (7) Compressed air or other gas is forced into the tubular member via the gas-inlet means 18, inflating the member into the form of either FIG. or FIG. 11, depending on the distance between the constrictions 14. Be cause these tubular members preferably are permanently sealed, helium is an economically feasible inflation gas in them. Since the lead (when used) is thin (for example (when in sheet or extruded form) in the range of 2 to 12 mils in thickness preferably about 4 mils) its total weight in a tubular member is small; nevertheless, this small weight to a certain extent may be counteracted by helium as the inflation gas. (8) The gasinlet means is permanently sealed by one of the abovedescribed bonding methods.

As indicated in FIGS. 10 to 11A, as well as in FIGS. 1 and 4, each inflated tubular link curvingly slopes from a middle portion of greatest bulge to a substantially flat construction at each end. On the sides of the link its surfaces 28 slope concavely outward toward the ends of each construction 14 or 14'. At the top and bottom of the tubular element its surfaces 30 convexly slope inward toward the flatter part of each constriction. When, and if the link is long enough to have a circular-in-cross-section middle bulge, the axial length of the link portion of these curved tapers depends on the diameter of the circular section. The ratio of the taperportion length to the diameter is the same for all tube diameters and may be exactly determined by mathematical calculations. The length of the taper portion has been roughly and empirically ascertained to be over two times the potential diameter of the tubular element. The width of the major dimension of the flat constriction is approximately 1.57 times the potantial diameter. In view of these facts and as exampled in FIGS. 10A and I2, the middle section of each link may be circular as at 32. But for the following reasons this configuration is not preferred: (1) it requires a rather long axial length of the tubular element; and (2). its middle portion is circular instead of elliptical. Therefore in the tire form of FIG. 12, as well as in the other forms, a substantially elliptical middle section as indicated at 34 in FIG. 11A is preferred. The major axis of this ellipse, being substantially parallel to the rotary axis, leads to a relatively wide curve of the tubular element adjacent to the road-contacting tire periphery.

The above-described tubular member, comprising end-joined tubular elements, having their major lengths extending around the rotary axis, is the type of inflated member utilized in the invention form of FIGS. 1, 4 and I2. Optionally, the wheel of any of these figures may be of any commonly known type of automobile, tractor, motorcycle or bicycle wheel; and within the scope of this invention the inflated tire-lining means of FIG. 2 or of FIGS. 12 and 13 may be substituted for the inflated tubular member of FIG. I; and this tubular member also may be substituted for the inflated means of FIGS. 2 and 2A or of FIGS. 12 and 13.

As illustrated in FIG. I, the wheel comprises: axlesupporting, disk-like steel or aluminum alloy plates 36 and 37; a rim 38, welded to the plates 36 and 37; an apertured disk-like element 40, extending around the rotary axis, welded in a ring of welding 42 to the plate 36 and welded to the rim 38; a second apertured disk-like element 44; means detachably fastening 44 to 37, comprising nuts 46, arranged in a circle centered at the rotary axis, each nut being welded to a metal lug (or alternatively to a metal ring) 47 which in turn is welded on the inside of 44, nuts 48, also in a circle about the rotary axis, welded to 37, and bolts 50, having slotted flat heads by which they may be screwed into the nuts from outside the wheel; lugs (or a ring) 52 having a weight that substantially counterbalances that of the lugs or ring 47; and reentrantly curved rings 54, integral with the disk-like elements 40 and 44, holding the tire casing on the wheel. 1

The casing 56 is of the commonly used type, comprising: two or more plies of fabric and resilient rubber or other resilient plastic; wheel-attachment annular flanges 58, clamped within and between the rings 54; and annular wire grommets 60 within the flanges 58. The casing and the inflated tubular member 61 (optionally comprising tubular elements of the type of FIGS. 11 and 11A) are so constructed and dimensioned as to put the casing perimeter 62 under substantial tension. The inner maximum circumference of the casing is equal to or slightly less than the rotary-axiscentered circle of the greatest bulges of the tubular member 61.

The currently preferred form of the inflated-link species of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2A. The wheel here shown may be of a commonly used present type, or like that of FIGS. 1; but preferably it is like the wheel of FIG.- 12. The wheel rim 64 is illustrated as circular in cross section; but optionally it may be hexagonal or otherwise polygonal as indicated in FIG. 3. When it is polygonal the radially-inner center area of each inflated link or tubular element 66 bears on a central portion of one of the polygonal parts 68. As shown in FIG. 2 this center area bears on a curved portion 70 of the wheel rim. When the portion of the casing 72 that is opposite to the link is on the ground the tubular element has resiliently yielded and this central area is greater than it is shown in FIG. 2.

An advantage of this type of tire tubular member is the fact that this yielding involves little or no wrinkling or the metal of the tubular elements. In the yielding the flattened ends of the tubular element (indicated at 73 in FIG. 2) are free to move inward and the central ellipse somewhat collapses toward the rectangular form of FIG. 9, but is prevented by the resiliency of its inflation from moving into this form. The small area of the tubular element opposite 70 when the element is not thus partially collapsed optionally may be epoxy-glued or otherwise bonded to 70. And the flat ends 73 of each adjacent pair of the tubular elements optionally may be free from attachment to each other or may be flexibly connected by silicone rubber cement or the flexible bands or tie members 74 of FIG. 2A. These ties may be of flexible'rubber or other plastic or comprise fabric (for example, nylon or plastic-impregnated cloth of any kind. Their peripheries are such that they permit unimpeded contact between all the tubular elements and the casing. When a tubular element yields opposite the road its flat ends 73 move its attached portions of the flexible tie members radially inward. Each of the bands or cords 74 is epoxy-glued or otherwise bonded to the flattened ends 72 at one side of the tubular member. Optionally there may be two tie members at each tubular-member side, with an annularly-arranged series of the ends 73 bonded between the ties. The casing 72 optionally may be of a common type of tire casing; or it may be in the form shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 12 illustrates a form of wheel and casing that may be used with inflated inner tubular members of the type of FIG. or of FIGS. 2 and 2A; but as exampled in FIG. 12 they are shown as utilized with three tubular members of the type of FIGS. 10 to 11A and I3 (preferably with the form of inflated members shown in FIGS. 11, 11A and 13). The maximum bulges of these three members have central radially outward points or small areas (76, 77) that contact the inner surface 78v of the casing. As indicated in FIG. 13, these small areas, as Well as the substantially flat constrictions 14', are staggered, with the points 76 of the middle tubular member being opposite and between a pair of the substantially flat portions 14', and each of the points 77 being opposite a substantially flattened portion 14 of themiddle inflated member. As stated above, the maximum bulges of the tubular elements are exampled in FIG. 12 as circular in cross section, but preferably they are elliptical as indicated in FIGS. 11, 11A and 13.

These staggered tubular members may be used with any of the'above-described types of wheels and casings. But as preferred and as shown in FIG. 12, the rim 80 (optionally cylindrical or polygonal), welded to the disk-like elements 82 and 83, have ring-like flanges 84 which hold the taut casing in place. These flanges have portions that project radially inward, and at the sides of the wheel provide annular spaces between them and the elements 82 and 83, in which the curved flanges 86 of the casing rest and are clamped. In assembly of this wheel-and-tire combination the tubular means is first placed around the rim 80, against which the tubular elements snugly bear. Optionally, these elements may be glued to the rim. Then the casing is placed radially outward of the tubular means, and the flanges 86 are forced into position between the flanges 84 and the ele ments 82 and 83. Since the sidewalls of the casing are vertical or nearly so, centrifugal force does not tend to spread apart the flanges 86; but instead, due to its action on these flanges and the annular weighted means 88, forces them tightly outward against the flanges 84.

This weighted means optionally may be an annular Various changes in the specific disclosed structure may be made within the scope of this invention. For example, and as indicated in FIG. 1, foam plastic 90 may be inserted in originally liquid-mixture form between the casing and the wheel rim and around the inflated tubular means in each of FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 12. And the pressurized gaseous material within each of the tubular members may be air, helium, or other lighterthan gas or gas-cell-containing foam plastic.

In the claims, unless otherwise qualified: the word plastic means any type of rubber of other synthetic or natural plastic; the term gaseous material signifies air, or any other gas, or gas-cellcontaining foam plastic; substantially flat means entirely flat or somewhat flattened but allowing passage of gas; constrictions: a flat or partially flat portion; tubular means: a single tube or a plurality of tubular elements or members, of any cross-sectional shape; tubular element a separate, inflated, hollow element or an inflated link of a tubular member; fabric: any cloth or mesh, comprising woven or otherwise joined fibers, cords, or metallic wires or filaments; bonding materiak welding, brazing, soldering, epoxy putty or other pasty or liquid glue.

I claim:

1. A tire, including:

a tire casing, having flexible, tire-strength-providing wall material; inflated tubular means within said casing, including hermetically sealed tubular walls of solid, flexible, integrally continuous, impermeable-to-gas metal having a high degree ofductility, in the range of the ductilities of lead and soft aluminum and copper; and

gaseous material under above-atmospheric pressure, within, in contact with, and permanently inflating said walls;

radially outer portions of said walls being adjacent to and outwardly distending portions of said casing.

2. A tire as set forth in claim 1, having a gas inlet on said tubular means, comprising a relatively small tube; and bonding material permanently sealing said tube after tire inflation.

3. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said metal is lead.

4. A tire as set forth in claim 3, in which: the said tubular means further comprises an envelope of fabric around said tubular walls, reinforcing said lead, bracing it against lead-thinning expansion due to said pressure.

5. A tire as set forth in claim 4, in which said fabric has tensile strength greater than that of said lead.

6. A tire as set forth in claim 4, in which said fabric has a melting point higher than that of lead.

' 7. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said gaseous material is helium.

8. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which: said inflated tubular means is a doughnut-shaped inner tube of lead, substantially impermeable to gas and the said tube closely fits within and lies snugly against inner surfaces or said casing.

9. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said tubular means comprises: a sheath of resilient plastic enveloping said metal; and flexible bonding means between said metal and sheath.

10. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said tubular means comprises a plurality of juxtaposed tubular members, each of which encompasses the tires rotary axis and comprises hermetically sealed walls of said metal.

11. Atire as set forth in claim 10, in which each of said tubular members comprises a plurality of tubular, inflated links, and flexible means for fastening said links together;

12. A tire as set forth in claim 10, in which each of said tubular members comprises a doughnut-shaped tube.

13. A vehicle tire, comprising: a tire casing, having flexible, tire-strength-providing wall material;

inflated tubular means within said casing, comprising a plurality of annularly-arranged tubular elements, each of which has: solid, homogeneously continuous, impermeable-to-gas wall material of highly ductile metal, having a degree of ductility in the range of the ductilities of lead and soft aluminum and copper, around an hermetically sealed hollow space; an inflated middle part of greater bulge,

sloping to a pair of substantially flat constrictions, each of said constrictions having a width that is greater than any dimension across said bulge that is normal to the axis of the tubular element; portions of the said elements wall surfaces which convexly curve inward from a cross-sectional plane of the greatest bulge of the element to each of said pair of constrictions; and

gaseous material under above-atmospheric pressure within said space.

14. A tire as set forth in claim 13, in which: the said wall material of the casing comprises resilient plastic and reinforcing fabric; and the said ductile metal is lead.

15. A tire as set forth in claim 14, in which: the 'said end constrictions comprise flattened, element-end portions of said tubular-means wall material and bonding means between said element-end portions, hermetically sealing them and said elements; each of said elements having a said hollow space; and the said elements have substantially parallel, annularly arranged axes, each of these axes being substantially parallel to the rotary axis of the tire.

16. A tire as set forth in claim 15, further comprising tie members arranged in planes normal to said rotary axis, fastened to and connecting each adjacent pair of said element-end portions, assembling said tubular elements in an endless, inflated tubular member, surrounding said rotary axis.

17. A tire as set forth in claim 16, in which: the said tubular-means wall material comprises fabric; and said fabric is impregnated and coated with said lead.

18. A tire, including:

a tire casing of flexible, tire-strength-providing wall material;

inflated tubular means within said casing, having wall material comprising solid, homogeneously continuous, impermeable-to-gas wall material of highly ductile metal. having a degree of ductility in the range of the ductilities of lead and soft aluminum and copper, and aroudn an hermetically sealed hollow space; and

gaseous material under above-atmospheric pressure contained within said space;

the said tubular means comprising at least one endless tubular member, extending around the tires rotary axis, having a plurality of tubular elements that are end-joined at substantially flat constrictions of said member; each of said elements having: a portion of said ductile-metal wall material; an inflated middle part of greater bulge, each of said constrictions having a width greater than any dimension across said bulge that is normal to the axis of said element; wall-surface portions that convexly curve inward from a cross-sectional plane of greatest bulge of the element to each of said pair of constrictions; and wall-surface portions that concavely curve outward from said plane to each of said pair of constrictions.

19. A tire as set forth in claim 18, in which: the said wall material of the casing comprises resilient plastic and reinforcing fabric; and the said ductile metal is lead.

20. A tire as set forth in claim 19, in which said tubular means comprises a plurality of endless tubular members, each having the tubular-member structure set forth in claim 19; the said members being so arranged around said rotary axis that each of said constrictions is opposite a said inflated, middle-part bulge.

21. A tire as set forth in claim 19, in which: the said tubular-means wall material comprises fabric; and said fabric is impregnated and coated with said lead.

22. A tire as set forth in claim 19, in whichsaid gaseous material is gas under pressure well above that of the atmosphere, comprising means for holding said constrictions in substantiallly flat condition; said holding means at most of said constrictions being constructed and arranged to allow passage of gas between adjacent tubular elements.

23. A tire as set forth in claim 22, in which said holding means at most of said constrictions comprises spaced welding between opposite portions of said lead, with gaps between said welding providing said gas passage. 

1. A tire, including: a tire casing, having flexible, tire-strength-providing wall material; inflated tubular means within said casing, including hermetically sealed tubular walls of solid, flexible, integrally continuous, impermeable-to-gas metal having a high degree of ductility, in the range of the ductilities of lead and soft aluminum and copper; and gaseous material under above-atmospheric pressure, within, in contact with, and permanently inflating said walls; radially outer portions of said walls being adjacent to and outwardly distending portions of said casing.
 2. A tire as set forth in claim 1, having a gas inlet on said tubular means, comprising a relatively small tube; and bonding material permanently sealing said tube after tire inflation.
 3. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said metal is lead.
 4. A tire as set forth in claim 3, in which: the said tubular means further comprises an envelope of fabric around said tubular walls, reinforcing said lead, bracing it against lead-thinning expansion due to said pressure.
 5. A tire as set forth in claim 4, in which said fabric has tensile strength greater than that of said lead.
 6. A tire as set forth in claim 4, in which said fabric has a melting point higher than that of lead.
 7. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said gaseous material is helium.
 8. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which: said inflated tubular means is a doughnut-shaped inner tube of leaD, substantially impermeable to gas and the said tube closely fits within and lies snugly against inner surfaces or said casing.
 9. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said tubular means comprises: a sheath of resilient plastic enveloping said metal; and flexible bonding means between said metal and sheath.
 10. A tire as set forth in claim 1, in which said tubular means comprises a plurality of juxtaposed tubular members, each of which encompasses the tire''s rotary axis and comprises hermetically sealed walls of said metal.
 11. A tire as set forth in claim 10, in which each of said tubular members comprises a plurality of tubular, inflated links, and flexible means for fastening said links together.
 12. A tire as set forth in claim 10, in which each of said tubular members comprises a doughnut-shaped tube.
 13. A vehicle tire, comprising: a tire casing, having flexible, tire-strength-providing wall material; inflated tubular means within said casing, comprising a plurality of annularly-arranged tubular elements, each of which has: solid, homogeneously continuous, impermeable-to-gas wall material of highly ductile metal, having a degree of ductility in the range of the ductilities of lead and soft aluminum and copper, around an hermetically sealed hollow space; an inflated middle part of greater bulge, sloping to a pair of substantially flat constrictions, each of said constrictions having a width that is greater than any dimension across said bulge that is normal to the axis of the tubular element; portions of the said element''s wall surfaces which convexly curve inward from a cross-sectional plane of the greatest bulge of the element to each of said pair of constrictions; and gaseous material under above-atmospheric pressure within said space.
 14. A tire as set forth in claim 13, in which: the said wall material of the casing comprises resilient plastic and reinforcing fabric; and the said ductile metal is lead.
 15. A tire as set forth in claim 14, in which: the said end constrictions comprise flattened, element-end portions of said tubular-means wall material and bonding means between said element-end portions, hermetically sealing them and said elements; each of said elements having a said hollow space; and the said elements have substantially parallel, annularly arranged axes, each of these axes being substantially parallel to the rotary axis of the tire.
 16. A tire as set forth in claim 15, further comprising tie members arranged in planes normal to said rotary axis, fastened to and connecting each adjacent pair of said element-end portions, assembling said tubular elements in an endless, inflated tubular member, surrounding said rotary axis.
 17. A tire as set forth in claim 16, in which: the said tubular-means wall material comprises fabric; and said fabric is impregnated and coated with said lead.
 18. A tire, including: a tire casing of flexible, tire-strength-providing wall material; inflated tubular means within said casing, having wall material comprising solid, homogeneously continuous, impermeable-to-gas wall material of highly ductile metal, having a degree of ductility in the range of the ductilities of lead and soft aluminum and copper, and aroudn an hermetically sealed hollow space; and gaseous material under above-atmospheric pressure contained within said space; the said tubular means comprising at least one endless tubular member, extending around the tire''s rotary axis, having a plurality of tubular elements that are end-joined at substantially flat constrictions of said member; each of said elements having: a portion of said ductile-metal wall material; an inflated middle part of greater bulge, each of said constrictions having a width greater than any dimension across said bulge that is normal to the axis of said element; wall-surface portions that convexly curve inward from a cross-sectional plane of greatest bulge of the element to each of said pair of constrictions; and wall-sUrface portions that concavely curve outward from said plane to each of said pair of constrictions.
 19. A tire as set forth in claim 18, in which: the said wall material of the casing comprises resilient plastic and reinforcing fabric; and the said ductile metal is lead.
 20. A tire as set forth in claim 19, in which said tubular means comprises a plurality of endless tubular members, each having the tubular-member structure set forth in claim 19; the said members being so arranged around said rotary axis that each of said constrictions is opposite a said inflated, middle-part bulge.
 21. A tire as set forth in claim 19, in which: the said tubular-means wall material comprises fabric; and said fabric is impregnated and coated with said lead.
 22. A tire as set forth in claim 19, in which said gaseous material is gas under pressure well above that of the atmosphere, comprising means for holding said constrictions in substantiallly flat condition; said holding means at most of said constrictions being constructed and arranged to allow passage of gas between adjacent tubular elements.
 23. A tire as set forth in claim 22, in which said holding means at most of said constrictions comprises spaced welding between opposite portions of said lead, with gaps between said welding providing said gas passage. 